1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to patient transportation apparatus for patients requiring intravenous container support apparatus and, more particularly, to removably securing an intravenous container support apparatus to a patient transportation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the health care profession in general, and in hospitals in particular, a patient, who must keep an intravenous fluid container attached to her body, frequently must be transported from one location to another. This transport is typically accomplished with a patient transportation apparatus, such as a wheelchair or a hospital-type bed, for example. Typically, at least one hospital personnel member pushes the patient in the wheelchair or bed, and at least one other hospital personnel member ensures that the intravenous fluid container remains in a safe position relative to the patient. The intravenous fluid container is typically supported by the personnel member or a mobile carrier that is detached from the wheelchair or bed. Otherwise, the intravenous fluid container is supported by carrier that is specifically designed to be fixedly attached to a particular transportation apparatus, which minimizes the flexibility to use the specifically designed carrier with different transportation apparatus. These carriers and supports are prone to being overturned or otherwise being jolted or pulled away from the patient, thereby resulting in dislodged intravenous lines that present potential unsafe conditions for the patient. Typically, the additional personnel are required to prevent the carriers or supports from being overturned or otherwise jolted or pulled away from the patient.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an attachment device which overcomes the problems of requiring additional personnel to prevent the pulling away of a detached intravenous container carrier from a patient, who must keep the intravenous container attached to her body, wherein the device is quickly and easily transferable to a variety of different hospital transportation apparatus.